Mountain Power Lineman

The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life. -Robert Louis Stevenson-

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

The storm season is already hitting on the East Coast, with Sandy devastating the Eastern seaboard. It's likely that there will soon be storms to deal with over here on the nation's Left Coast as well.

I found a great page on Linetramp.com that lists all of the outage maps for various power companies across the United States. Click Here to check it out.

In the meantime, take a moment to pray for those who are working to restore civility to the wind whipped cities back east. Remember the National Guard, the Firemen, and the Linemen that are working to make life better.

Thursday, July 05, 2012

I'm enjoying a new book about the way we live in communities. How we design our surroundings.
My current favorite is - 126: Something roughly in the middle. Basically the idea is that if you have a public space with no middle, it becomes a dead space. People need a focal point to draw them together. Imagine a piazza, a plaza or public square. It could even be an open space in a shopping area. If there's nothing in the middle, like some trees or a fountain, people tend to avoid it altogether. They hug the edges.
Think about your favorite large areas to hang out in. Do they have a place to gather around. I bet they do.
Food for thought. See you next time.

Monday, February 27, 2012

So it turns out out status and wealth tend to out people to behave unethically. This article from Wired magazine makes the point that as wealth and status rise for a person, their proximity to the outcomes of their behaviour gets further removed.

Is it any surprise then, that the jerk who cut you off on the highway was driving a Mercedes?

Sunday, February 19, 2012

I've managed to do something for the first time in my life. I actually have a place to call my own in my garage. I've been married for 10 years. And all that time I've let my tools sit in boxes and bins, shelves and sacks. But I did it.

Ive got an old desk to work on small projects. A compound miter saw. And a table saw too. Even better... A work bench. Most of what I have is due in large to my very generous father in law. When he gets a new toy, I get the very nice hand me down.

There's nothing quite so nice as a "well lit place" to call my own.

Bonus: cleaned out the other half of the garage and now my wife can park her car with ease. It's the little things.

Friday, February 17, 2012

I'm relishing the fact that this is a new year. A new chance to get things right. A new moment to start in the right direction. Expect changes soon. I don't know how or where or why. But God answers prayer. And that's good enough for me.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Before you know it, you're 33 and you've got 3 kids in the house. Life is good. Life is full. I am regularly reminded of my favorite quote, which I have posted at the top of the screen. There are few things which are better than those which are right at hand, if only we would accept them for the amazing things that they are. I'll open my blog for 2012, and close this post by quoting again from Robert Louis Stevenson

THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE NEAREST: BREATH IN YOUR NOSTRILS, LIGHT IN YOUR EYES, FLOWERS AT YOUR FEET, DUTIES AT YOUR HAND, THE PATH OF RIGHT JUST BEFORE YOU. THEN DO NOT GRASP AT THE STARS, BUT DO LIFE'S PLAIN, COMMON WORK AS IT COMES, CERTAIN THAT DAILY DUTIES AND DAILY BREAD ARE THE SWEETEST THINGS IN LIFE. -ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON-

Sunday, January 18, 2009

I don't really have a lot to say in this post, but I really couldn't let the Christmas Season keep dragging on in my blog. There is a time for everything, and Christmas is retired for at least another 10 months.

It's yet another year, and I am finally back on a line crew. The hiatus was fine in compliance inspection, and it did afford me some reliably standard work hours through the holidays, but come January I was ready to go back to being a regular Lineman. The past couple of weeks have been really good. It's difficult to return to construction after being away for so long. You tend to forget all of the little tricks you use to make your job easier. Thankfully, they've been coming back to me in time.

Last week, my coworker who lost his hands in an electrical incident dropped by the yard. It was good to see him up and about. He and his wife found out recently that they are expecting a baby later this year. He seems in really good spirits for where he is in his recovery, and I wish him the very best. Please continue in your prayers for him and his family. There's still a long way to go.

I've not announced it properly here on the blog, but my wife and I are expecting twin boys later this Spring. I've known for quite a while, but I just never got around to announcing it here. I'm pretty excited, and fairly anxious. Going from a family of 3 to a family of 5 in one fell swoop will be an adventure. I plan to take advantage of the Family Leave Act and spend about a month at home, helping everything to get settled. Thankfully, we expect to have some family help a few days a week. It will be wild.

Here in CenCal the weather is unseasonably warm. If you're visiting from the Great Northwest, you'll probably want to bring your shorts and t shirts. It was in the 70s yesterday.